Bushido: The Culture Of The Samurai

way of life

The samurai lived frugal lives, and weren't interested in riches; they lived for pride and honor. Men of true valor, they did not fear death and would enter battle regardless of the odds. In fact, to die in battle was the greatest honor they could bestow upon their lord and family.

The samurai fought one on one. They ran onto the battlefield calling out their family name, rank, and accomplishments, and looked for enemies of the same rank. The victor would then cut his opponent's head off.

Severed heads were brought back as proof of victory. The heads of high-ranking officers and generals were taken to the capital where they were displayed for the city officials. A samurai who lost a duel and wasn't killed had only one option to preserve his honor: seppuku.

Seppuku, also known as hara-kiri, consists of ritually committing suicide by stabbing one's abdomen and disemboweling oneself by cutting out the guts. Afterwards, a fellow samurai or friend would chop their head off. This suicide ritual was also performed by the samurai in order to avoid capture in battle, to atone for a transgression, and sometimes even to reprimand their lord. Whatever the reason, seppuku was a genuine act of honor.

philosophy of honor

The code of the samurai was adapted from the Chinese virtues of war, and evolved into the code of chivalry known as Kyuba no michi (The Way of Horse and Bow).

At the height of the samurai supremacy, between the 9th and 12th centuries, the philosophy became the Bushido code, or Way of the Warrior. Influenced by Zen and Confucianism, it became the way of life for the samurai. More than simple chivalry, it is about modesty, self-sacrifice, refined manners, frugality, martial spirit, loyalty, affection, sense of shame, purity, and honor.

A good samurai following the Bushido code would respect self-control, sincerity, love, benevolence, honesty, and justice. The latter was especially important since injustice was regarded as inhumane. Not only did the samurai abide by this etiquette in battle, they followed it in their personal lives as well.

The word of a samurai was better than any contract. Furthermore, they never displayed any emotions, pain or joy, but were composed at all times. True warriors of virtue, they were always in harmony with their surroundings.

a legendary samurai

Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645), born into a samurai family in the province of Mimasaka, is the most famous samurai of all. As legend has it, he never took a bath because he didn't want to be surprised without arms.

He had his first triumphant duel at the age of 13, and by the time he was 30, had fought and won more than 60 sword fights. He was the uncontested master of Niten Ichi Ryu, a technique of fighting with two swords at once.

In fact, he founded the Individual School of Two Skies and taught this skill for many years. He also wrote the most celebrated book about Japanese sword fighting, The Book of Five Spheres .

His exploits were the stuff legends are made of, and it inspired novelist Eiji Yoshikawa to write Musashi which in turn was adapted to the big screen, most notably in Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy ( Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954), Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955), and Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956)).